


Mescal at Midnight

by ellebeedarling



Series: After All This Time [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Budding Romance, Fluff, M/M, Minor Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard, Smut, a tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 02:47:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10295777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellebeedarling/pseuds/ellebeedarling
Summary: James and Steve discover new feelings for each other and decide to spend the night before the attack on Cerberus headquarters exploring their newfound relationship.Mentions of mShep/Kaidan - the same ones from my story Someone to Love.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sparkly_butthole](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkly_butthole/gifts).



> sparkly_butthole requested some Cortega lovin'. Here ya go dearie! Hope it delivers! ;)

“Uh... hey.”

 

Steve glanced over at the man standing beside him. James looked nervous – out of place – as he rubbed at the back of his neck. He smiled softly at him, “Hey.”

 

James seemed to relax, just a tad, but his eyes still darted around Steve's workbench.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Hm? Oh... yeah... yeah, I'm good,” James said.

 

“Did you... need something?”

 

“I...” James sighed and forced himself to meet Steve's eyes. “That, uh... that was some party last night at Shepard's, huh?”

 

“That it was.” Steve's eyes danced happily, and James blushed, a silly little grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

James took a step closer, seemed to realize that they weren't alone in the shuttle bay, and stepped back. “Be nice if we could have just a little more time for shore leave, huh?”

 

“That it would, Mr. Vega.”

 

“Maybe... if we did, you and me could... meet for drinks or something.”

 

“What, no more secret stashes of mescal?”

 

A boyish grin split James' face, and Steve would admit that his heart melted a little at that. “Thought you didn't like my mescal.”

 

“It's growing on me.”

 

They were lost in each others gaze for a moment, then James coughed, “Uh... yeah. If you want to meet me at my cot tonight, we can... oh, shit! Wait! I didn't mean...” His face was flaming red now as he stammered and started. Steve couldn't help but laugh.

 

“Relax James. I know what you meant. I'll be there. 2100 okay?”

 

“2100's perfect.”

 

**

 

After a couple shots of mescal, James was much more relaxed, laughing at a joke that Steve was actually embarrassed to have told. The punchline went something along the lines of “get jalapeno business.” He'd never gotten more than a groan and an eye roll for his efforts at joke telling, but James seemed quite amused at the moment. Maybe that was just the liquor talking.

 

“You know mescal started out as Mexican moonshine,” James said.

 

“Really? That why it leaves you with such a god awful hangover?”

 

“Better than Joker's horse chokers, though, right?”

 

“Definitely! Damn. Why'd you have to bring that up?”

 

James laughed some more, knocking his shoulder into Steve's as they sat side by side on his cot. “You were pretty damn cute,” he shrugged.

 

“I seriously thought that I was going to be sick.” His hand rested on James' knee, and the man smiled at that, covering it with his own hand. Steve marveled at how much this reminded him of being a teen again – sitting here on Vega's cot in the shuttle bay, partially hidden by a stack of crates, sneaking a bottle of hooch, and giggling at lame jokes and deliberate little touches.

 

“You know what helps with hangovers, though, don't you?” James asked, lacing his fingers together with Steve's. “Un traguito,” he went on at Steve's quirked eyebrow. “A couple swigs of whatever landed you in this mess.”

 

“Oh... like 'hair of the dog that bit you last night'!”

 

“Yeah... same thing.”

 

“So you're saying the best way to beat a hangover is to drink some more in the morning... before work...”

 

“I'm not sayin' to get drunk in the morning, just... you know a swallow or two to take the edge off. I'm telling you it works... and I know for a fact that Shepard does it.”

 

“Bullshit!”

 

“A dios! Saw him and Alenko both this morning toppin' off their coffee.” He made a little motion with his hand mimicking pouring liquid. Steve thought for a minute, then nodded his acceptance of James' story. “Those two have it bad, huh?”

 

“Shepard and Alenko?”

 

James nodded. “Bet it's nice having someone to... you know... face the end with.” His grip on Steve's hand tightened, thumb rubbing up and down Steve's.

 

“I bet it is,” he agreed, then chanced a look at Vega's face. James was watching him, his big brown eyes gazing softly. “So...” he stopped, took another swig of the mescal, “about last night...”

 

James nodded again, as if he'd known all along that Steve was going to say that. “I... well, I'm kinda hopin' that wasn't just a one time thing,” James confessed, meeting his gaze again.

 

“I was kinda hoping the same thing,” Steve said, and his breathing had become shallow. He reached a hand up to cup James' cheek, drawing their mouths closer and closer. Suddenly, he felt something cold and wet on his ass. James must have felt it too, because he leapt off the cot and howled at the exact same moment as Steve. He wasn't even sure which of them had been holding the open bottle of mescal, but half of it was dumped on James' bed now, and all over the two of them as well.

 

“The cot was a bit small for what I was planning anyway,” James said with a smirk, pulling Steve close and claiming his lips. Neither of them had drank enough to be drunk yet, but damned if Steve's head didn't feel foggy from the effects of that kiss. James' lips were velvet soft and inviting, and when they parted, Steve didn't waste any time in taking the open invitation to deepen the kiss. James moaned into him, one hand cupping his neck, the other sliding down to his ass. He ran his thumb along Steve's jawline and kneaded his ass with the other hand. Steve's fingers made their way under James' shirt, drinking up the silky feel of the man's skin.

 

They were gasping for breath when Steve pulled away. “I've got some blankets in the Kodiak,” he whispered against James' ear, and the other man leaned back to raise a questioning eyebrow at him. “Never know when we might get stranded overnight.”

 

James huffed a little laugh, but let Steve lead him by the hand over to the shuttle. It was a struggle once they were inside. Steve was trying to lay out the blankets for them to lie on, and James couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. Eventually Steve just gave up on the blankets and let himself be pulled back into another smoldering kiss. He could certainly get used to those. For all his bluster and bravado, it turned out that James Vega was a rather gentle man, yet full of fiery passion. Steve's body reacted easily to his touch, and soon, James had him backed against the shuttle wall.

 

He nipped a trail up Steve's neck, nibbling his earlobe when he got there, and Steve retaliated by palming James' budding erection through his jeans. “Dios,” James muttered, biting a little too vigorously at the crook of Steve's neck. He rocked his hips forward, rutting against Steve's palm. “Maybe we should take some of these clothes off,” he suggested. Without waiting for Steve's approval, he began fiddling with the man's belt buckle until he had Steve's trousers open and could get a hand inside.

 

Steve groaned and let his head hit the wall with a thunk when James took him in hand, giving him a few incredible pulls. “James,” he gasped, feeling the man's lips curling into a smile against his neck.

 

“Where are those blankets you were bragging about, Esteban?”

 

He pointed a shaking finger toward a storage compartment, and James grinned, pressing a light kiss to his lips before turning away. Steve was too dazed to do anything but watch the man spread a couple blankets onto the floor, and when he turned to face him again, James' gaze was predatory. “Let's get these off, hm?” He said, pulling at the man's clothes. Steve's shirt landed somewhere across the shuttle, and James dropped to his knees, pulling Steve's pants down with him.

 

James drank in the sight of him – tall and lean, dark skin over corded muscle. His hands roamed, getting a feel for him. Last night had been rushed, drunken, lusty sex that was more about getting off than exploring. It had come as somewhat of a surprise to both of them, but it had been magnificent. This morning, when he'd had time to think things over, James had decided that not only were he and Steve good together; they were _right_ together. This whole thing just felt right, and it had been under their noses the entire time. Then again, neither of them had been ready for it before last night. Shepard had been the one to help Steve finally grieve and let go of his husband so that he now felt free to move on. Shepard had also given James a gentle nudge during the party the night before. Commander Shepard – First Human Spectre, Galactic Savior, Matchmaker Extraordinaire.

 

He smiled at the thought, then peered up into Steve's eyes – electric blue and brilliant and beautiful. His heart fluttered at the smile he received, and he leaned forward to press little kisses against the man's stomach, fingers gently caressing all the skin they could find. They both moaned as James nudged along the crease of his groin and hip, and Steve's fingers curled into James' short tuft of hair. James breathed him in, intoxicated by his scent. The feel of the hard cock twitching against his cheek spurred him to action. Locking eyes with Steve again, he took just the head of his cock into his mouth, tongue flickering over it. Slowly, he drew him inside, both of them groaning in pleasure.

 

Steve watched himself disappear into the sweltering heat of James' mouth and had to fight to keep his eyes open. The honest affection gazing up at him had his heart in his throat. His fingers kneaded the back of James' neck, subtly encouraging his movements. His feelings for James had been growing, shifting, as the war waged on, but he would never have imagined the man felt the same way. Mutual attraction had grown out of their friendship, and Steve felt almost selfish taking advantage of that. There was no guarantee any of them would live past tomorrow, though, and James had been right earlier in the evening. It would be nice having someone to face the end with.

 

James pulled away to draw a breath, and Steve bent down to bring their lips together, pushing against the larger man until they were tumbling backward onto the blankets in the floor. They laughed, lips meeting again and again through their smiles, and Steve's fingers worked at the clasps of James' uniform as he kicked the rest of the way out of his own trousers. James' hand engulfed his cock again, and Steve lost track of what he'd been trying to do as he rolled onto his back with a groan. Some part of his brain registered James' chuckle, but then the man's lips and tongue were all over him again, blazing a trail toward his raging erection. When James swallowed him down again, Steve couldn't suppress his loud groan or his bucking hips.

 

Supple lips engulfed him over and over as James' tongue swirled and dipped and tasted, one hand working the base, the other cupping and rolling his balls. Things were coming to a head too quickly. “James, please,” Steve whimpered. “Just... ah... god, wait!”

 

His grin was smug as he crawled back up Steve's body, planting more kisses and nibbling here and there as he went. James brushed his lips against Steve's cheek, “Tell me what you want.”

 

Steve groaned and surged forward, managing to knock James off balance and roll him onto his back. He made quick work of removing the rest of the man's clothing, eyes roving his naked body. Wild klixen couldn't drag out of him how many times he'd gotten a boner watching James do pull-ups from his corner of the shuttle bay, nor how many times he'd jerked off in the shower to the image of these muscles rippling underneath his shirt. Right now, he was certainly appreciating the man's dedication to physical fitness.

 

Keeping their eyes locked, Steve leaned forward and ran his tongue up the underside of James' dick, earning himself a loud moan for his efforts. “Esteban,” James whispered, hoarse and raspy, and Steve just grinned and kept working him over, lavishing attention on his cock and balls with his tongue until James was writhing underneath him. When he rose to kiss the man again, James flipped them over, grinding his hips against Steve's. “I didn't think about lube,” he confessed, burying his face in Steve's neck to hide his blush.

 

“It's okay... neither did I.” They both chuckled. Steve nosed against James' temple as the man ground his hips down again. A combined moan filled the air, and Steve wrapped his legs around James' waist. “This actually works pretty well for me.”

 

“Yeah,” James panted. Sweat and pre-cum mingled to ease the slide of their dicks against one another, and it was feeling so amazing that Steve didn't even complain when James spit into his hand and added his saliva to the mix. Their lips found each other again, tongues tangling through gasping breaths. “So close,” James managed between kisses.

 

“Mmhm...” Steve pressed his head into the floor, body arching against James'. “Oh, god...”

 

James ducked his head, flicking his tongue over Steve's nipple, “Yeah... Cum for me, Esteban.”

 

“Shit!” Steve went dizzy for a moment as his orgasm overtook him, barely registering the warm rush of fluid between them as his body shook against James'. The larger man let out a long, low groan, and Steve felt his release against his stomach a moment later. James kissed him, slow and savoring before gently rubbing their noses together with a grin. His gaze was happy and sated, and Steve figured his own mirrored it. “I could get used to this,” Steve murmured.

 

“Me, too.” James rolled off the man, but brought Steve along with him until they were lying on their sides facing each other. Grabbing a shirt, he mopped up the mess and pulled Steve closer. “I'm kinda sorry we waited so long to do this.”

 

“We're here now,” Steve said, fingers lightly stroking up and down the man's back. “Let's not worry about what if's, James. Let's just... live for the moment.”

 

“Guess that's all we can do these days.”

 

“Mmm...” Steve listened to the man's steady breathing, watched the rise and fall of his chest. “Are you scared?” he asked after a while.

 

James was quiet so long, Steve thought he was asleep. When he spoke, his voice quavered, “Yeah... yeah, I'm scared. You?”

 

“Very.... Shepard will get us through though, right?”

 

“He's just a man, Esteban. I want to believe as much as the next guy, but...”

 

“We've come too far to give up hope now, James.” Steve cupped his cheek, forced him to meet his eyes. “We need all the hope we can get right now.”

 

Nodding, he pressed his lips to Steve's. “Shepard's taking EDI and Kaidan to the Cerberus base,” James said, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Just... be careful, Steve. Promise me.”

 

“Promise.” They shared several sweet kisses before James enveloped him in strong arms and they drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a day when they could be together without the threat of constant death looming over them.

 

In the morning, they dressed in silence, refusing eye contact. The attack on the Cerberus base was the beginning of the end. Admiral Hackett had made that clear to them yesterday. The chances were high that one or both of them would be dead in a few hours, and neither of them was ready to face that reality – neither of them ready to give up the new thing they'd found in each other.

 

James fell into a seat to pull his boots back on then finally peered up at Steve, expression guarded. “I...” he started.

 

“I'm going to be fine,” Steve said, pulling him out of the chair and kissing him soundly. “We're going to win this and come out the other side... together... promise.”

 

“I'm holding you to that, Esteban,” he whispered, gripping his cheeks, pulling him into a tender kiss. “Come back to me... I'll be waiting.”

 

**

 

James was pacing the end of the bay when the shuttle returned. Shepard looked grim. Alenko looked even more grim, but when their eyes met, their expressions softened just a touch before they were shifting into mission mode once more. The Commander gave James a sly grin as he passed, and as soon as Shepard and Alenko were in the elevator, James rushed into shuttle, dragging Steve into a blistering kiss. Steve smiled at him when they separated. “I could get used to greetings like that.”

 

“Well, you'll just have to keep coming back for more.”

 

“Always.”

 

It wasn't over – not by a long shot – but now they had this, had each other. The desperate need to win, to complete the next mission had been the driving force in both their lives for so long, they'd forgotten what it felt like to have something else to look forward to.

 

“Think there's anything left of San Diego?” James asked, face buried in Steve's neck.

 

“No idea. I've never been to San Diego.”

 

“If we make it through this, I'm gonna take you.”

 

“I can think of worse post war plans than spending some time alone with you on a beach.”

 

“Heh... yeah, me, too. Just one more battle to fight now.” They squeezed each other tighter.

 

“When it's over, I'll bring the mescal.”

 

“I've corrupted you!”

 

Steve laughed and pressed a kiss against the man's neck. “You gave me something to live for.”

 

James lifted his head and met the man's eyes. “Esteban-”

 

He cut him off with a kiss. “Come on. Let's finish this.”

 

With one last desperate kiss, James nodded, “Yeah... let's finish it.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I've never written for this ship before, and it's rare that I write a story where Shepard isn't one of the main characters, so I hope I did alright. This was a fun pair! :)
> 
> Come talk to me on tumblr anytime you want: ellebeedarling.tumblr.com
> 
> Much love,  
> Elle


End file.
